By Katie Trout

Data breaches on major healthcare conglomerates, such as Change Healthcare and HealthEquity, where the latter was breached through a third-party vendor’s credentials, demonstrate the ripple effect that reaches even small organizations like privately owned clinics and healthcare facilities. These security events are detrimental to businesses and healthcare organizations of any size, but the results can be devastating for small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs).

Despite 57% of small business owners believing they won't be targeted, cybercriminals frequently target these enterprises. In one year, the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center fielded more than 880,000 reports of cyberattacks, resulting in the potential for $12.5 billion in losses. Small businesses were disproportionately affected. This highlights a dangerous misconception: many small business owners mistakenly believe they are too small to be a worthwhile target, leaving them dangerously unprotected. This is equivalent to unintentionally inviting thieves into one’s home by leaving the doors unlocked, assuming only larger homes are targeted.

This false sense of security makes SMBs perfect targets for cybercrime, resulting in severe consequences that can disrupt operations, damage finances, and erode trust with employees and customers. Given the high stakes, comprehensive security measures must be in place across all business functions, including HR and benefits administration, which handle sensitive employee data.

When sensitive patient and employee data is stolen and gets into the wrong hands, the consequences are dire. That's why healthcare executives and company leaders must prioritize using strong data security measures to protect their businesses’ critical infrastructure, staff, and patients. Such a task can be overwhelming, especially for resource-constrained healthcare organizations like private practices and small clinics.

As SMBs increasingly rely on third-party services to handle sensitive information, it's crucial to ensure robust security measures are in place. HITRUST CSF certification provides a comprehensive framework for safeguarding data, giving SMBs and their stakeholders peace of mind. Balancing benefits administration efficiency with stringent data security is a critical challenge for healthcare organizations. HITRUST certification offers a proven framework to address these complexities.

Protect your data, reduce compliance burden
Originally developed for the healthcare sector, HITRUST certification is considered the gold standard in security and privacy protection. It ensures compliance spanning multiple, complex regulatory requirements, simplifies compliance efforts and reduces the complexity of controls. By adhering to the HITRUST Common Security Framework (CSF), organizations can demonstrate their commitment to robust data security and mitigate the risks associated with breaches. This configuration consolidates multiple security standards, providing a unified compliance and risk management approach.

By aligning with federal, state, and industry standards, HITRUST CSF certified software solutions provide organizations with a comprehensive and flexible foundation to manage risk and protect sensitive data. HITRUST CSF certification validates an organization’s ability to protect sensitive information by meeting rigorous industry and regulatory requirements. By adopting a risk-based approach and incorporating best practices from leading frameworks, HITRUST certified solutions deliver robust, scalable, and compliant solutions.
Here are the ways HITRUST certification meets the unique needs of SMBs:

1. Extensive compliance: HITRUST certification simplifies regulatory compliance by consolidating multiple standards, including HIPAA, into a single framework. This streamlined approach saves organizations valuable time and resources.

2. Targeted security: HITRUST helps businesses focus on the most critical security controls by filtering through thousands of potential requirements from frameworks like NIST. This targeted approach ensures efficient implementation and protection of sensitive data.

3. Expert partnership: Organizations can leverage HITRUST certified vendors to access specialized expertise in security and compliance. This allows internal teams to concentrate on core business operations while the vendor manages complex security protocols and regulatory requirements.

4. Consistent quality enhancement: This certification mandates annual assessment or recertification, aligning organizations with the latest security best practices and evolving threat landscapes. This proactive approach helps protect against emerging cyber threats.

A more secure future
Cyber threats pose a constant risk to individuals and businesses. It's essential for small and medium-sized business leaders to be mindful of the potential repercussions of data breaches, and to prioritize data security measures accordingly. Shielding sensitive information is essential for protecting reputation, revenue, and employees. Leveraging HITRUST certified systems ensures that SMBs and multi-employer groups comply with current regulations and are best prepared for the evolving landscape of digital attacks. By simplifying complex data protection, HITRUST empowers SMBs to focus on on their core business operations. By partnering strategically with HITRUST certified vendors and implementing targeted controls, SMBs can protect their clients and teams while supporting business continuity.

About the author: Katie Trout is the chief technology officer at Vimly Benefit Solutions.